South Melbourne Hellas eyes continental glory in OFC Championship
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
South Melbourne Hellas has expressed a keen interest in participating in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Professional League Championship, an international competition featuring clubs from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu.
When we asked about the significance of potentially joining such a prominent football arena, the club’s president Nikos Maikousis said: “Participation would be a momentous achievement for South Melbourne Hellas. The OFC Championship, with its extensive international exposure, provides an invaluable platform to showcase our club’s stature on a global stage. We proudly represented Oceania at the FIFA Club World Cup in Brazil, and as one of Australia’s leading clubs, we are eager to compete in this competition. When our ambitions to participate in higher-tier domestic leagues are met with resistance, we must explore alternative avenues for growth and promotion.”
The president also outlined the club’s strategy for managing commitments across multiple competitions, including the National Premier Leagues Victoria (NPL), the Dockerty Cup, the Greek Cup, the Australia Cup, and the anticipated second-tier national league.
“The championship dates are manageable,” he explained. “Our plan is to field our senior squad in the OFC Championship and second-tier national league matches, while our reserves will compete in all other domestic competitions, mirroring the approach of A-League clubs. We are committed to maintaining a strong presence in all domestic competitions and intend to compete year-round.”
Participation in the OFC Championship would inevitably increase costs. In response to how the club plans to address this, the president stated, “We are prepared to meet the financial challenges. For example, some funds will be reallocated from the first team’s reduced involvement in the NPLV.”
Regarding potential government support, he added: “We are hopeful that the government will recognize the significance of our participation in the OFC Championship and provide the necessary support. There are existing financial resources allocated to other sports, such as regional rugby, and we are optimistic that our contribution will be acknowledged. We cannot provide further details at this time, but we remain very optimistic.”
When asked about his perspective on the recent developments in Australian football, Maikousis said: “Positive strides are being made, although progress takes time. As a founding member of the second-tier national division, while we have reservations about its final structure, we acknowledge it as a significant step forward and remain optimistic about the sport’s future. South Melbourne Hellas, with its rich history and passionate fanbase, will continue to contribute to the growth of Australian football.”
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